Top 5 CRM systems for financial services

Thanks Julian. You are an absolute champion at this stuff. .

Steve Chandler - Property Development Institute
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🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #2 : Simple Email Marketing – 4th August 2026

We’re back for Week 2 of the MarketerM8 Live & Updated HighLevel Workshop Series — and this one’s all about getting your first emails out the door (and getting replies). This week’s workshop: Simple Email Marketing (Campaigns)📅 Live on Tuesday {{custom_values.62__simple_email_marketing_date}} at 12 noon (via Zoom)🎯 Who it’s for: HighLevel users who want to start sending professional email campaigns without overwhelm💸 Free for all HighLevel users This session is perfect if you want to:✅ Create your first email campaign inside HighLevel✅ Understand the difference between campaigns and workflows✅ Learn the basics of tagging, segmentation, and list management✅ Avoid common mistakes that land your emails in spam✅ Write emails people actually want to read (and reply to!) 💡 Bonus: We’ll also show you the “3-Line Email Challenge” — a proven, ultra-simple format to get responses fast. You’ll write one live, send it out, and watch what happens. ✅ If you’re already registered, check your inbox for the Zoom link✅ Not booked in yet? You can still join us — click here to register now 📚 Want to see what’s coming up next in the series?👉 View the full 13-week workshop menu here Let’s get your first campaign live — and make it one that converts. See you there?
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British Gas Is Cutting 1,300 Jobs as It Invests in AI. Is It Time Your Business Did the Same?

27 July 2026 British Gas owner Centrica has just announced plans to reduce its workforce by around 1,300 roles as part of a wider technology-led transformation. When a company the size of British Gas announces job reductions while increasing its investment in digital customer service and artificial intelligence, people understandably ask the same question: Is AI replacing people? The answer is more nuanced than some of the headlines suggest. Centrica says that changing customer behaviour is a major part of the decision. More customers are choosing digital channels first, which has resulted in fewer people calling its customer service teams. At the same time, the company is investing in artificial intelligence, automation and digital tools designed to handle more customer enquiries without relying entirely on traditional call centres. Whether AI is the direct cause of the job reductions or simply part of a much wider transformation, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: The way businesses communicate with customers is changing permanently. The important question for small business owners is not whether they operate on the same scale as British Gas. It is whether they can now benefit from similar AI technology. The answer is yes. What Does the British Gas Announcement Mean for Small Businesses? For many years, sophisticated automated customer service systems were only available to large corporations. Building an intelligent telephone system, connecting it to a CRM and automating the customer journey required specialist developers and substantial budgets. That is no longer the case. Platforms such as HighLevel have made AI-powered customer service available to businesses of almost any size. Through MarketerM8, we can now provide small businesses with many of the same capabilities that major organisations are investing millions of pounds to develop. An accountant, estate agent, renewable energy installer, dentist, solicitor, marketing agency or local trades business can now use AI to answer telephone calls, qualify enquiries, book appointments and trigger follow-up automation. Meet Your New AI Employee At MarketerM8, we build AI Employees using HighLevel. Think of an AI Employee as a receptionist, customer service assistant and sales administrator working together inside one connected system. Unlike a traditional voicemail service, an AI Employee can have a genuine two-way conversation with a caller. It can: Answer your telephone 24 hours a day. Answer common customer questions. Qualify new enquiries. Collect names, email addresses and telephone numbers. Book appointments directly into your calendar. Create and update contact records automatically. Create opportunities inside your sales pipeline. Send confirmation emails and text messages. Continue conversations by SMS or WhatsApp. Transfer urgent calls to a member of your team. Trigger follow-up workflows automatically. This is far more than a simple telephone answering service. It becomes part of the way your business handles enquiries, follows up prospects and manages customer relationships. AI Is Not Necessarily About Replacing Staff The discussion around artificial intelligence often focuses on job losses. For most small businesses, however, the more immediate opportunity is not replacing good members of staff. It is removing repetitive work and preventing valuable enquiries from being missed. Imagine how much time your team spends answering questions such as: What time do you open? Do you cover my area? Can I book an appointment? How much does the service cost? Can somebody call me back? Do you have any availability this week? These are exactly the types of conversations an AI receptionist can handle. Your team can then concentrate on the conversations that require experience, judgement and a human relationship. These might include: Closing important sales. Advising customers. Resolving complicated problems. Delivering the actual service. Building long-term client relationships. For many businesses, AI does not replace staff. It helps existing staff become more productive. Never Miss Another Valuable Enquiry One missed telephone call could be worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds. This is particularly important for businesses such as: Renewable energy installers. Emergency trades. Dentists and healthcare providers. Estate agents. Solicitors. Accountants. Marketing agencies. Home improvement companies. Unfortunately, many small businesses still rely on voicemail, an answerphone or ‘hopefully’ somebody remembering to call the prospect back later. By the time the call is returned, the prospect may already have spoken to a competitor. An AI Employee answers immediately. It can respond during lunchtime, in the evening, at weekends and on Bank Holidays. Every caller receives an immediate response, even when your office is closed or your team is busy. For many businesses, capturing just one extra customer each month could more than cover the cost of the technology. The AI Receptionist Is Only the Beginning Many standalone AI telephone systems stop once the call has finished. HighLevel goes much further because the AI receptionist is connected to your CRM, calendars, sales pipelines, email marketing, SMS, WhatsApp and automated workflows. A typical customer journey could look like this: A prospect calls your business. ↓ The AI receptionist answers immediately. ↓ It asks questions and qualifies the enquiry. ↓ It books an appointment into your calendar. ↓ HighLevel creates or updates the contact record. ↓ An opportunity is created in your sales pipeline. ↓ The prospect receives an email and text confirmation. ↓ Your team is notified. ↓ Appointment reminders are sent automatically. ↓ If the prospect does not proceed, an automated follow-up campaign continues the conversation. This is why I often describe HighLevel as an AI Operating System for small businesses, rather than simply another CRM. The telephone call, contact record, calendar, pipeline and follow-up marketing all work together. AI Phone Answering at a Sensible Price Many small business owners assume that this type of technology will cost thousands of pounds every month. It does not. HighLevel has made AI-powered telephone answering and customer service available at a price that is realistic for smaller companies. Through MarketerM8, we help businesses plan, configure and train their AI Employee so it understands: The services the business provides. The areas it covers. The questions customers frequently ask. The information that should be collected. The appointments that can be booked. When a call should be Read more…
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🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #1: HighLevel Foundations for Beginners – 10th November 2026

We’re excited to kick off the new series of MarketerM8 Live HighLevel Workshops with our first session: HighLevel Foundations for Beginners! This live workshop is perfect for new users who want to: Set up their HighLevel account correctly Understand the core tools Avoid common beginner mistakes Start using automations with confidence 📅 First Session: {{custom_values.61__highlevel_foundations_date}} (via Zoom)🎯 Who it’s for: New HighLevel users and business owners setting up their first automations ✅ If you’re registered, check your email for details!✅ Still need to sign up? There’s still time — Register here! 👉 Click here to see the full list of upcoming workshops See you there!
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How to Sell Electronic Gift Cards for Your Business. Even If You Don’t Have an Online Shop

Electronic gift cards are no longer just for ecommerce retailers. HighLevel now enables businesses to sell digital gift cards online and redeem them when a member of staff collects a payment on the customer’s behalf. That makes electronic gift cards practical for salons, clinics, photographers, coaches, tradespeople, training providers, entertainment venues and many other service businesses whose customers often buy over the phone or face-to-face. Quick Answer If you sell products through an ecommerce platform such as Shopify, you may already have access to gift card functionality. However, many businesses do not operate a conventional online shop. They sell appointments, treatments, experiences, professional services or made-to-order products. Customers may book over the phone, visit a reception desk, accept a quotation or speak directly to a member of staff before paying. HighLevel provides an alternative for these businesses. You can sell electronic gift cards through an online checkout and then apply the customer’s available gift card balance when your business records or collects a payment through supported HighLevel payment flows. This means the gift card is no longer restricted to a customer completing their own online checkout. Key Takeaways Electronic gift cards are suitable for services, appointments, experiences and offline sales, not just ecommerce products. Customers can purchase HighLevel gift cards through an online checkout. Staff can apply a gift card when collecting or recording supported payments inside HighLevel. A gift card can cover the full cost or form part of a split payment. HighLevel automatically updates the remaining gift card balance after redemption. Invalid, expired and zero-balance gift cards are identified during the payment process. The buyer and recipient can become part of your wider CRM and marketing system. Dedicated gift card redemption through HighLevel Calendars and POS is listed as a future enhancement. Why Electronic Gift Cards Aren’t Just for Online Retailers When most people think about gift cards, they picture large retailers or ecommerce websites. That is understandable. Platforms such as Shopify have made it relatively straightforward for an online retailer to sell a digital gift card and allow the recipient to redeem it during an online checkout. But what about a business that does not sell products through an online shop? What about a hair salon, photographer, martial arts school, theatre, carpet cleaner, driving instructor or beauty clinic? These businesses may have websites, but their customers do not necessarily place products into a shopping basket and proceed through a conventional ecommerce checkout. Instead, customers might: Call to discuss what they need. Book an appointment. Visit the business in person. Ask for a quotation. Pay a deposit over the phone. Pay the balance after the service has been delivered. Speak to a receptionist before making payment. Traditional ecommerce gift card functionality does not always fit these customer journeys. That has left many service businesses relying on printed vouchers, handwritten certificates, spreadsheets or separate gift voucher software. The Missed Opportunity for Service Businesses Services can make excellent gifts. Consider how many people would be pleased to receive: A massage or beauty treatment. A family photography session. A course of golf lessons. A theatre experience. A personal training package. A beginner’s martial arts course. A professional car valet. A whole-house carpet clean. A gardening package. A set of driving lessons. A restaurant or afternoon tea experience. A coaching or training session. Yet many businesses make these gifts unnecessarily difficult to buy. A potential customer may have to telephone during opening hours, wait for someone to produce a voucher, collect it from the premises or arrange for it to be posted. Every additional step creates another opportunity for the buyer to abandon the purchase and choose a more convenient gift elsewhere. An electronic gift card removes much of this friction. The customer can purchase it online, receive confirmation immediately and pass the details to the recipient without waiting for the business to open. “Gift cards turn services that people need into experiences that other people can give.” What Is an Electronic Gift Card? An electronic gift card, sometimes described as a digital gift card, e-gift card or electronic gift voucher, represents a prepaid value that can be used against a future purchase. Rather than receiving a physical plastic card or paper voucher, the buyer or recipient receives digital details, normally including a unique gift card code. The recipient presents that code when making a purchase. The business validates it, applies the available balance and updates the amount remaining. A gift card might have a fixed value, such as £25, £50 or £100. Alternatively, the business can position the card around a particular service or experience, while assigning an appropriate monetary value behind the scenes. For example: £75 photography gift card. £100 beauty treatment gift card. £150 home cleaning gift card. £250 new homeowner electrical check gift card. £300 personal training gift card. The Problem with Many Gift Card Systems Many gift card systems are designed around a simple ecommerce journey: The customer selects a product online. They add it to a basket. They enter a gift card code during checkout. The gift card value is deducted from the order. That model works well when every purchase happens through a website. It becomes more awkward when a customer telephones the business, pays an invoice, visits reception or asks a member of staff to process the payment. A service business therefore needs more than the ability to sell a gift card online. It also needs a practical way for staff to redeem it during the payment journeys the business already uses. HighLevel’s New Offline Gift Card Redemption HighLevel has expanded its gift card functionality so businesses can now redeem a customer’s gift card while recording or collecting payments directly inside the platform. Previously, gift cards could only be redeemed by customers through customer-facing checkouts. Under the updated system, a member of staff can enter the customer’s gift card code, validate it and apply the available balance during supported business-initiated payment flows. Gift card redemption is currently supported through: Orders: Record Payment, then Read more…
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Already Using Eventbrite, Spektrix or TicketSource? The Marketing System Every Entertainment Venue Should Add

Whether you run a comedy club, theatre, live music venue, arts centre, concert venue, festival or multi-purpose entertainment venue, chances are you already have a ticketing or box office system in place. Perhaps you are using Eventbrite, Spektrix, TicketSource, PatronBase, Ticketsolve, Ticket Tailor, TicketCo or another booking platform to sell tickets and manage events.These systems are excellent at what they do.But selling tickets is only one part of running a successful venue. How do you encourage people to come back? How do you promote your next event? How do you follow up venue hire enquiries? How do you answer customer questions when your box office is closed? That is where HighLevel comes in. At MarketerM8, we help entertainment venues use HighLevel as the marketing, CRM and customer communication platform that works alongside their existing ticketing software. The result is more repeat bookings, better customer engagement and less manual administration. Your Ticketing Software Is Not the Problem Most modern ticketing systems already do an excellent job of: Selling tickets Managing events Processing payments Managing seating plans Handling memberships and season tickets Producing box office reports Managing refunds and exchanges If your current platform already does these things well, there is usually no reason to replace it. Instead, think of HighLevel as the marketing engine that sits alongside your booking system. Your ticketing software manages the transaction. HighLevel manages the relationship. Ticketing Software vs HighLevel. Who Does What? Feature Ticketing Software HighLevel Sell tickets Yes Built-in ticketing coming soon Seating plans Yes No Box office management Yes No Customer CRM Basic Advanced Email marketing Basic Advanced automation SMS marketing Limited Yes WhatsApp messaging Rare Yes AI phone receptionist No Yes AI website chat No Yes Marketing automation Basic Advanced Landing pages Limited Yes Sales funnels No Yes Membership websites Limited Yes Google review requests Limited Yes AI review responses No Yes Sales pipelines No Yes Venue hire workflows No Yes Customer win-back campaigns No Yes Google and Facebook Ads Limited Yes The two systems complement each other rather than compete. Your ticketing platform manages events and bookings. HighLevel manages marketing, customer relationships, AI and automation. Together they create a far more powerful solution than either platform on its own. Why Entertainment Venues Need a CRM Most ticketing systems are built around events. HighLevel is built around people. That is an important difference. A ticketing system tells you somebody bought a ticket. HighLevel helps you understand: Which genres they enjoy Which performers they regularly watch How often they visit Whether they usually attend as couples or groups Whether they buy premium tickets Whether they have hired your venue before Their lifetime value Which marketing campaigns they respond to Instead of simply building a list of ticket buyers, you are building an audience that can be marketed to for years. What HighLevel Adds HighLevel allows entertainment venues to automate much of the customer journey. For example: Email marketing SMS campaigns WhatsApp messaging AI Receptionist AI Website Chat Missed Call Text Back Customer review requests Google and Facebook advertising Gift voucher campaigns VIP membership programmes Corporate booking enquiries Venue hire workflows Internal staff notifications Customer win-back campaigns Sales pipelines Marketing automation Rather than sending every announcement to your entire mailing list, you can send personalised campaigns based on customer interests and previous bookings. One Customer Journey. Endless Possibilities. Imagine somebody books tickets for a comedy night. HighLevel could automatically: Send a confirmation email Provide directions and parking information Recommend food and drink before the show Send an SMS reminder on the day Send a WhatsApp reminder shortly before the performance Request a Google review afterwards Promote the next comedy night Add them to a VIP programme after several visits Automatically re-engage them if they have not returned within six months Exactly the same automation works for theatres, concerts, festivals, tribute acts, family entertainment and arts venues. Integrating With Your Existing Ticketing System One of the first questions we are asked is: Will HighLevel work with our booking software? In many cases, yes. Ticketing Platform Integration Options Eventbrite Zapier, API and webhooks Spektrix Official Zapier integration and API Ticket Tailor Zapier, Make and API TicketSource API and custom integration options PatronBase API Ticketsolve API TicketCo API Our recommendation is always to use the most practical integration based on your existing systems. The goal is not to replace software unnecessarily. The goal is to create a better customer experience. Looking Ahead. HighLevel’s Built-in Ticketing HighLevel is currently putting the finishing touches to its own integrated ticketing platform. For some entertainment venues this could become an attractive all-in-one solution, combining ticket sales, CRM, marketing automation and AI within a single platform. However, venues that benefit from marketplace exposure through services such as Eventbrite may still prefer to continue using their existing booking system while using HighLevel as the marketing platform. We will be watching this development closely and advising clients where it genuinely makes sense to migrate. A Real Example From One of Our Clients One of MarketerM8’s clients is a large theatre group that was using Superchat to manage inbound customer service enquiries. The platform worked well, but it cost more than €299 per month. Following a review of their technology stack, we replaced Superchat with HighLevel’s built-in Conversations Hub together with its AI-powered customer communication features. The result was: One less monthly subscription Lower software costs A simpler technology stack Better integration with the CRM Improved visibility of every customer conversation This perfectly illustrates one of HighLevel’s greatest strengths. Many organisations gradually build a disconnected collection of software. One application for email marketing. Another for live chat. Another for CRM. Another for landing pages. Another for reviews. Another for forms. Another for SMS. Before long, you are paying for numerous subscriptions that do not always work particularly well together. HighLevel takes a different approach. Rather than becoming another specialist application, it continues to evolve into an increasingly complete business platform. New functionality is released regularly, allowing businesses to consolidate more of their marketing, sales, customer Read more…
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How Independent Park Home Dealerships Can Generate More Sales with HighLevel. Without Replacing the Software They Already Use

Buying a residential park home, luxury lodge or static caravan home is one of the biggest lifestyle decisions many people will ever make. Unlike buying a car or booking a holiday, customers rarely make a decision after one enquiry. Instead, they might: Search Google for park homes for sale Browse Rightmove and specialist park home websites Download brochures from several dealerships Visit one or more showgrounds Compare manufacturers and models Discuss finance options Visit again with their partner or family Think about the decision for several months Eventually place an order That journey can last six to twelve months, and sometimes considerably longer. Which raises one important question. How do you stay in touch without becoming a nuisance? For many independent park home dealerships, the honest answer is that they do not. After a few follow-up calls and emails, many enquiries simply go quiet. Some prospects buy from a competitor. Others postpone their move. Some forget which dealership they originally contacted. That is exactly where HighLevel can help. Your Existing Software Already Runs Your Dealership One of the biggest misconceptions about HighLevel is that it is designed to replace your existing systems. It is not. If you are already using software such as: Elite Dynamics Microsoft Dynamics 365 HubSpot Zoho CRM Pipedrive A specialist dealership management system A well-organised spreadsheet Keep using it. These systems can be very good at managing: Customer records Quotations Orders Home specifications Production updates Delivery information Warranties After-sales support HighLevel has a completely different job. It helps your dealership with the marketing and sales: Generate more enquiries Respond faster Automate follow-up Convert more prospects into showground visits Stay in touch throughout a long buying journey Generate more customer reviews Create more referrals Your dealership software runs your business. HighLevel helps you grow your business. Where Most Park Home Dealerships Lose Sales Independent dealerships spend a considerable amount of money generating enquiries. Those enquiries may come from: Google Ads Facebook and Instagram Rightmove Park Home Living Quickmove Properties Specialist park home directories Printed brochures Local exhibitions Open days Search engine optimisation Customer referrals The problem is not always generating the initial enquiry. The bigger problem is following up every enquiry consistently. A typical park home buying journey might look like this: Google search ↓ Website visit ↓ Brochure request ↓ Telephone enquiry ↓ Showground appointment ↓ Second visit with partner or family ↓ Discussion about finance and site fees ↓ Selection of manufacturer and model ↓ Optional upgrades and specifications ↓ Order placed ↓ Factory build ↓ Delivery and installation ↓ Customer moves in ↓ Review request ↓ Referral campaign Most dealerships are good at managing the middle of this journey. Once someone is actively discussing a particular home, requesting a quotation or preparing to place an order, the sales team normally takes control. However, many dealerships struggle to manage the beginning and the end of the journey. That means brochure requests are not always followed up, older leads are forgotten, completed customers are not asked for reviews and referral opportunities are missed. Capture Every Park Home Enquiry Automatically Whether someone finds you through Google, Rightmove, Facebook, a specialist park home website or your own website, HighLevel can help capture the enquiry and begin the follow-up process immediately. A new prospect could automatically receive: A personalised welcome email A text message confirming their enquiry A downloadable brochure Directions to your showground A link to book an appointment Information about available homes and developments A reminder for a member of your sales team to call No enquiry has to sit in an inbox until someone notices it. No prospect has to wait until Monday morning for a response. HighLevel can ensure that the conversation begins within seconds. Your AI Receptionist Can Work While You Sleep One of the biggest opportunities for independent park home dealerships is handling enquiries outside normal opening hours. Imagine a potential customer browsing Rightmove at 5pm on Sunday. They have decided it might be time to downsize. They have found one of your homes and have a question about the development, the site fees or whether pets are allowed. As they are keen, then take a chance and call the dealership office on Sunday at 5pm to ask if pets are allowed. Normally, nobody answers. They may leave a voicemail. They may call another dealership. They may simply forget to call back the following morning. With HighLevel’s AI Voice Receptionist, the call can be answered immediately. Your AI receptionist can: Answer frequently asked questions (eg tell them there and then that pets are allowed) Explain your opening hours Capture the caller’s name and contact details Ask what type of home they are looking for Qualify the enquiry Arrange a callback Book a showground appointment Send the details to your sales team Your dealership can effectively continue capturing enquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Use Website Chat to Start More Conversations Not every potential buyer wants to make a telephone call. Some people would prefer to ask a quick question through website chat. HighLevel’s Conversation AI can respond to enquiries, collect contact details and help potential buyers find the right information. For example, a website visitor might ask: Do you have any park homes available now? Can I live in the home all year? What are the monthly site fees? Are pets allowed? Do you offer part exchange? Can I choose the interior specification? How long does delivery take? Can I book a visit this weekend? The AI can provide an immediate response, collect the visitor’s details and notify your team when human follow-up is required. Turn Brochure Requests into Showground Appointments A brochure request should not be treated as a simple administrative task. It should be treated as the beginning of a carefully planned customer journey. Instead of sending one email containing a brochure and hoping the customer gets back in touch, HighLevel can automatically send a sequence of helpful communications. Day One Welcome email Downloadable brochure Text message Read more…
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Top 5 CRM systems for financial services

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #3 : Calendars & Appointments – 11th August 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #4 : Sales Pipelines & Opportunities – 18th August 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #5 : Automation & Workflows -25th August 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #6 : Database Management 8th September 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #7 : Forms, Surveys & Quizzes – 15th September 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #8 : Websites & Funnels – 22nd September 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #9 : Social Media & Reputation Management – 29th September 2026

🎓 HighLevel Level Training Workshop #10 : Courses & Communities – 6th October 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #11 : eCommerce & Ad Manager – 13th October 2026

🎓 HighLevel Live Training Workshop #12 : Advanced Marketing – 20th October 2026

Book Review. Endless Customers by Marcus Sheridan

The Ask. What’s The Best Survey Funnel Software Bucket.io Alternative for Ryan Levesque’s Ask Method (HighLevel)

Book Review: Scorecard Marketing by Daniel Priestley

Book Review: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

Clear, practical, and genuinely enjoyable – The Personal MBA is a book that’s earned its permanent place on my shelf

DotCom Secrets (2020 Edition Review) by Russell Brunson – A Must-Read for All HighLevel Users

Wow! Just Read: Sell Like Crazy – Sabri Suby

Have you read “The Ultimate Sales Machine” by Chet Holmes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Selling to Serve – James Asford – GoProposal

Have you read ‘They Ask You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐